Clan Ghost-Wolf
' 'is a clan of high status seated in the Vargine Hall in Whiterun. It's family primarily consisted of Nords while various other races served as warriors and servants. It was supposedly founded by Ylgar, the youngest son of Ysgramor after the events of The Return in the Late Merethic Era. No reason has yet to be given why Ylgar founded the clan. Their coat-of-arms depicts a white, growling wolf's head edged with black on a white background. Seeing as the clan has roots in Ysgramor's legacy they also share some warm relations with the Companions of Whiterun. As revealed in the Ancient Legends saga, every member of Clan Ghost-Wolf possesses the "Blood of the Wolf", meaning that they are all lycanthropes. Structure The clan consists of a Patriarch or a Matriarch supervising every clanmember to make sure that they bring honour to the family name. The clan also has a tutor which can unofficially be considered to also be a part of the clan for the younger members who have yet to learn the clan's ways. The tutor can be of any race providing he or she is capable of carrying out there role. The sons and daughters within the family are taught early on the code of the clan, what they are allowed to do and how to behave, and vice versa. Men and women are equal within the clan, meaning that gender has no real value and that a woman can just as easily became the heir or the leader of the clan as any man. However the rules always state that the firstborn child of the patriarch or the matriarch is always considered to be the crown heir of the family name, no matter what gender the child has. A child adopted or born into the clan is considered to be "Unblooded" and may, when they come of age, choose one of three schools which will train them into becoming either Berserkers, Young Bloods or Stalkers. The Ways of the Wolf ''The Ways of the Wolf is the name of Clan Ghost-Wolf's code book. It is an ancient script which has been passed down for generations. The earliest example was written on stone tablets during the Merethic Era, but is now written down in a tome bound in werewolf pelt. Within its pages is written the honourary ways to become a true and just warrior, heroic deeds of clanmembers, the family tree, as well as the secrets of warfare unique to the clan. Only those who have achieved the rank of Ghost-Wolf may be allowed to read its pages, this rule goes for the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs as well. If the family head has never chosen to follow the path of the Ghost-Wolf, they may never read the ancient texts. There have been few occurences in which a family member has achieved the rank of Ghost-Wolf and only to be named the family head afterwards, thus being allowed to guide the family as well as to read The Ways of the Wolf. Ranks The ranks within this clan are the following: The Patriarch/The Matriarch The Patriarch or the Matriarch serves as the head of the family and is the most important clanmember. They acts as the supervisor for the whole family, as well as diplomats when it comes to dealing with the relations of other clans. The head of the family has the final say in any decision brought to light within the clan and should always be treated with respect. A Patriarch or Matriarch may offer their position to another out of free will, but this is a rare occurence and has only happened during times of distress and war. The Heir An Heir is the key to the survival of the clan. Considered to be the second most important figure within the family after the Patriarch and the Matriarch. An Heir is expected to succeed the head of the family after the latter's death and eventually become a Patriarch or a Matriarch, depending on the gender. By default the Heir is generally considered to be the firstborn of the head of the family, however this title may be stripped and given to someone else, should the Heir prove to be unworthy of succeeding. The Tutor The Tutor acts as an advisor, mostly for the younger members of the clan who has yet to learn everything their peers know of the traditions, since the elders are to preoccupied with maintaining the clan's honourary status. The Tutors also holds responsibility over the economy and estates of the clan to make sure that the clan's assets never decreases. The Archivist The Archivist is the master-at-arms for the clan. He or she is ultimately the one who decides whether or not an Unblooded has been approved for the warrior path they want to focus on. The Archivist is also responsible for keeping the clan's code book as well as guarding the ancestral weapon. The Veterans The Veterans are the personal trainers for the Unblooded that have been approved of their chosen path. A Veteran therefore exists within all the fighter ranks such as: Ghost-Wolf Veteran, Berserker Veteran, Young Blood Veteran and Stalker Veteran. They are more or less commanders of an entire unit and responsible for the recruits during their training. The Ghost-Wolves The Ghost-Wolves are the highest achievable rank of warriors within the clan. Few are worthy to carry such titles. Named after the clan itself it is a great honour to be named thus. What defines a Ghost-Wolf is their unmatched fighting skills and their knowledge of the secrets written in The Ways of the Wolf. Their deadly fighting style is one combined of both stealth and physical prowess. The Berserkers The Berserker are among the elite warriors of the clan. Few can be chosen to become a Berserker due to the dedication it takes for them to hone their skills and to focus their aggression and ferocity into warfare. They train regularly to make themselves the perfect living weapon, making it hard for them to have a normal life by the side. The Young Bloods The Young Bloods are the primary fighting unit and footsoldier for any clan. They normally consists of swordsmen and spear militia, but this may vary from clan to clan. A Young Blood goes through a standard procedure of combat training and must be both strong and agile. They also have priorities to safeguard their clan's household. The Stalkers The Stalkers are a secretive fighting unit within a clan that primarily focuses their fighting skills to be used with stealth and discreet methods to dispatch their foes. They also serve as spies, informants and scouts. The Stalkers training schedule is set to be practiced only during the night to prevent being spotted. They most also possess some knowledge in the brewing of poisons as well as social abilites such as acting to tell whether or not someone is lying. The Unblooded The Unblooded are initiates who has yet to chose which of three warriors paths they want to focus on. Children, whether adopted or born into the clan, are usually called Unblooded. Pups Those who do not want to endulge themselves in the art of warfare are called Pups. The rank generally consists of everything from servants and farmhands to stableboys and squires. The Cadets The Cadet is a member of the clan not related by blood to any of the other clanmembers, but has still been accepted among the ranks as one of their own. A Cadet can be of any race as long as he or she has proven themselves worthy of being accepted into the clan. Cadets may rise high into the more respected ranks of the clan, but may never become Patriarchs or Matriarchs due to the lack of blood ties. A Cadet may however gain the privilege to form their own clan. These are known as Cadet Branches. Cadet Branches A Cadet Branch is a minor clan formed freely by members of a primary clan, but may grow into vast numbers and eventually be acknowledged as a primary clan. A clan can have several Cadet Branches at once, but may refuse to acknowledge those formed by traitors or exiled members. A Cadet Branch may therefore become either a great ally or a great enemy depending on the strength of the newly formed clan. So far the known Cadet Branches of Clan Ghost-Wolf are: Clan Wraith's Paw A Khajiit named Shen'Zarr once served true and faithfully as a Berserker for Clan Ghost-Wolf during the time of Second Clan War. He was fierce in battle and just as respected as any other Nord. He rose so high in the ranks that he was eventually given the privilige to form his own clan, which he also did, but not before bowing before the Patriarch of Clan Ghost-Wolf and thanking for the honour of serving him. His clan would eventually become the primary Clan Wraith's Paw, a clan which consists mainly of Khajiits and Argonians. The current Patriarch is Sha'Anxi, who is a direct descendant of Shen'Zarr. Despite his young age he has proven to be a capable leader and a formidable ally to Clan Ghost-Wolf, maintaining an excellent relationship between the two parties. Clan Frost-Fang Even though Clan Frost-Fang was originally founded by former members of the Ghost-Wolf clan, the clan has grown so large it is up to debate whether or not the clan qualifies to be acknowledged as one of the primary clans instead of a Cadet Branch. The current Matriarch of Clan Frost-Fang is Haridsvari, a Nord woman of nearly 90 years. The relations between Clan Ghost-Wolf and Frost-Fang are generally good even though most of the founding members were exiled for their extreme ways and their refusal to accept The Way of the Wolf. Clan Silver-Claw (denounced) Sometime during the Second Clan War, a group of Bosmer Stalkers betrayed Clan Ghost-Wolf when the Patriarch of that time was ill. Things didn't seem to go Clan Ghost-Wolf's way during the war and therefore they saw their chance to overthrow the clan once and for all by successfully killing five of the Patriarch's children in an attempt to cut short the bloodline and the end the clan once and for all. The retaliation was swift however when the Ghost-Wolf warriors arrived to battle. A few of the elves survived and eventually retreated to the Rift where they founded Clan Silver-Claw, a clan mainly consisting of elves of all kinds. Their current Patriarch is Andridaen. The relations between Clan Ghost-Wolf and Clan Silver-Claw has been cold and bitter for centuries, going so far that Clan Ghost-Wolf has even denounced any relations to the clan for the unjust murder of their ancestors. Clan Ghost Oak Clan Ghost Oak is a minor clan with only a handfull members, yet still growing strong. The clan was founded somewhere during the aftermath of the Second Clan War by Svante Thuriksson. He was a former Young Blood for Clan Ghost-Wolf who proved his valour during the conflict and was thus honoured with the opportunity to found his own clan. He named it after the material of the shield he was wearing into battle, but also in honour of his former clan. Their current Matriarch is Ebba Thuriksson, who maintains a good and stabile relationship with Clan Ghost-Wolf. Known Clanmembers * Ylgar, son of Ysgramor, Founder and the first Patriarch (deceased) * Bitvarg the Elder, Patriarch (deceased) * Hildi, his wife (deceased) * Lovis, Tutor (unknown) * Torsdolk, Berserker (alive) * Ulftand, Berserker (deceased) * Ylva, not yet classified (deceased) * Varg, Heir (deceased) * Rigvar, not yet classified (deceased) * Valkyrie, Matriarch (alive) * Hemming, not yet classified (unknown) * Lilja, not yet classified (unknown) Traits and Reputation Family members of the clan tend to have brown or golden brown hair with grey eyes and sharp facial features. The clan has been acknowledged as being one of the more passive and loyal clans found in Skyrim. They have a tendency for helping out those who are weak or are in need, yet put honour and courage above all. They have a reputation for being overly chivalrous and trustworthy, something which has lead many good members of the clan to an untimely death. Mods used * TBA Appearances * Ancient Legends: A Warlord's Rebirth I (mentioned only) * Ancient Legends: A Warlord's Rebirth II (mentioned only) * Ancient Legends: A Warlord's Rebirth III (mentioned only) * Ancient Legends: A Warlord's Rebirth IV (mentioned only) * The Clan Wars - TBA Category:Ancient Legends Category:Factions Category:Bloodlines Category:The Clan Wars Canon